Friday, February 22, 2013

Rocio/Justin Intervention III




I gave this decorated cardboard vegetable crate to a street vendor to use in the place of his own veggie box. I am interested in assisting the sales of these workers and in examining what happens to an anti-establishment gesture when it is done through necessity and not as an act of provocation. I am particularly interested in the care that goes into the daily preparation or set up for sale on the streets and creating and gifting objects to assist them in standing out and in a certain sense branding their goods from those of others. This act in in keeping with the original sign that inspired this direction Propagatori Comercii in that through these pieces(the stores sign and the vendors box) I am propagating or promoting commerce.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

rocio/justin intervention II

Here is the second intervention over the store. Many more to come. I am enjoying the research and have many new ideas of how to flirt with illegal commerce.


Monday, February 18, 2013

Rocio/Justin



The idea of Rocio creates a dialogue between public space, graffiti and its social significance. I began by investigating graffiti on legal walls or, in other words, graffiti in spaces where the gesture is no longer defiant, counterculture, anti establishment or the like. What social role does graffiti play in this context was my driving question. I began to explore sites of legal graffiti in Florence and began to see the same artists over and over again and the same names tagged in place in an almost self publicity act. The relation to propaganda came to mind. I started to reflect upon the anti commercial nature of graffiti and its unsalable aspects and was brought to think of a sign written in Latin upon a Triumphant Arch that reads 'Propagatori Commerci'. I created a fake wood inlay sign and attached it at the entrance to the legal graffiti walls. The idea of propaganda and commerce as linked drove me to consider other realms where graffiti could cross those lines and become something that assist commerce rather than rejects it. I have decided that the next intervention will be a faux marble inlay sign that will be posted above a chinese store in the center of town. This store has used fake marble to cover the sign above their store and I have created an image with the same material that will become their sign. This store furbishes the goods that are sold by many African Immigrants nomadically throughout the city and I have created an image for them that draws from an image of commerce in a Beato Angelico painting and from an image that references Crates philosophy of ridding ourselves of riches. The sign will be attached without permission and my hope is that the store will embrace it and it will assist them in gaining customers. For now this is my research and I am unsure as to what the final form will take. I am interested in everyone's thoughts.  I will be posting the sign at the store in the middle of the night tonight and will photograph it roughly tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

stoking our own fires




While the heat is still present, we begin anew with a dedication to the role of dialogue in expanding each of our practices and minds. This time let it be us to stoke the fire.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009


My comments on the current state of our group where my honest assessment of the challenges facing us. I ask that each of you read and add a new layer. A couple have, but it is getting hot. We need to be cautious of venturing towards the ridiculo as well. best to all.
justin

Friday, September 4, 2009


My Adidas cuts the sand of a foreign land…

we make a good team my Adidas and me…

and we won't be mad when worn in bad weather

My Adidas..

Following the Taller I was left with an energy that was generated by the group and the dialogue we had with each other. The continuation of that dialogue has maintained its momentum virtually and all of this has filtered into my day to day. I have sought a conversation on art in my own surroundings and have asked that it remain constant. Within my work, the various dialogues we held and the sculpture I created brought me to thinking about hierarchical structures within set cultural contexts and the lack of rational balance that these are frequently based on. I am now interested in turning these values inside out and replacing high with low and pop with folk. Something about these substitutions feels like it is needed… like it heals some historic wounds that have been perpetually abandoned……..thus my sneakers have been constructed out of fragments of past lives and hold the spiritual power of the talisman. We make a good team.
peace

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

...de la confusión al encuentro


El paso de la confusión al encuentro y del encuentro a la confusión, es solo andar, adelantarte al pensamiento y sentir que la energía fluye, estas tu solo en el mundo, y tienes que resolver, encontrar el camino por el que poder transitar en buena compañía.

Atravesar la puerta, ya abierta, saludar y buscar el sitio, estar cerca de artistas importantes, de un maestro, y pensar ¿pero que hago aquí?, la duda, el miedo,..., esa valla que hay que saltar para estar al otro lado y poder seguir corriendo.
Las paredes blancas se van vistiendo de presencias, de gestos rotundos, sutiles, decididos y todos desde la presencia, con la mano como transmisora de ideas profundas que deciden contar y compartir.

Llevaba mis telas, como esa ropa que te hace sentirte guapo, y esperas sacar en un momento especial, esas telas que me dan seguridad y que sin quererlo me generan dependencia, eso es lo que quería romper, quería encontrar la pluralidad en los elementos para expresar lo que quisiera en cada momento y Jannis podía ser el mejor director para aprenderlo.

Mucha reflexión, mucho dialogo, historias, explicaciones, y sobre todo me quedo con palabras sueltas que Jannis enfatizaba y quería que tuviésemos presentes,..libertad, artista, decisión, compromiso, ideas, peso, rotundo, gesto, propósito,..., ese director y amigo que caminaba por entre las obras, pensando, sin decir, pero contándolo todo con un gesto, con una mirada, su presencia llenaba Villa Iris de arte comprometido y libre.

No existió la consecución de una gran obra, ni la exhibición de algo importante, surgió el intercambio, el haber dado un paso mas en la búsqueda de formas y maneras de contar, el conocer y sentir una causa común con todos los artistas del taller, que desde su forma de ver, su técnica y su lenguaje, me mostraron muchos caminos donde poder aprender y sobre todo sentir que hay tantas maneras como personas.

Siempre que el arte surja desde la sinceridad y la libertad y no desde la imitación, el negocio o el intentar convencer, entonces y solo entonces veremos la verdadera cara del artista, su mundo interior, sus deseos y frustraciones, pero sobre todo veremos un artista libre, autentico, con la única pretensión de ser el, integro como persona.

Pensé mucho en esos días, y constantemente intentaba estar dentro de mi, no ser un espectador y ver las cosas como tal, encontrar el equilibrio, en el que todos mis yos estuviesen en el mismo sitio, haciendo ese cuerpo sólido y fuerte que me conectaran al presente, ese presente cambiante que me lleva al instante siguiente.

Cuando termina, sientes que lo mejor esta por llegar,...y llegara, porque se han movido muchas ideas rígidas, se han roto muros y se han abierto los ojos y aparecen paisajes increíbles, que ahora solo queda intentar capturar.